


I've Got You

by EmeraldSands



Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Ash is a sweetie and Drew is actually so very shy, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I wrote this for me but y'all can read it if you want, M/M, Sickfic, Whump, Whumptober 2020, set during Battle Frontier, when Drew caught Absol he also caught a cold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26885098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldSands/pseuds/EmeraldSands
Summary: Ash and Drew happen to be training in the same forest and when they cross paths, Ash soon realizes Drew isn't at his best. (For Whumptober day 7, theme: "I've got you" + prompts: "carrying" and "support"; a loose sequel to His Softer Side.)
Relationships: Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Shuu | Drew
Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957423
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	I've Got You

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't expect to have something postable for today, but here we are. It's been almost a year since I posted His Softer Side, which I still remember I had a lot of fun with the premise of, so here I ended up writing something with that basic premise and the roles reversed, set a little later but still in canon--this one takes place during Battle Frontier. The events of His Softer Side are referenced briefly, but you don't have to have read it to read this.
> 
> I'm calling this complete for now, but I may add onto it later when I'm not in the midst of a creative challenge with deadlines (or if I end up using an addition to fill another day's prompt). Guess we'll see.

With the Grand Festival on the horizon, there couldn't be a worse time for Drew to not be at his best. He'd just _had_ to go into the mountains to catch an absol, hadn't he? And now he’d caught a cold for his trouble.

"That's enough, Masquerain. Return." He didn't have the energy for training. And he didn't dare send out Roselia now—as his partner and his most trusted friend, she would chide him like nobody else for pushing himself in the first place.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a voice not far off. "Alright, now let's use iron tail!"

Drew knew that voice; it was one of May's friends, the loud but cute one with the pikachu—Ash, he was pretty sure was the name. It wasn't often that their group was separated, so that meant May was probably nearby too.

He leaned back against a tree, folding his arms over his chest—if his rival was going to see him in his current condition, he would at least try to look cool. Hopefully he wouldn't have to move or take a single step while they were around, because he realized he might fall on his face if he tried. 

A forceful sneeze nearly knocked him off balance.

"Hey, did you hear that?" Ash said. "I think there's someone nearby."

Drew pulled himself together, staying very still and trying to radiate an aura of coolness and confidence.

Ash entered Drew's field of vision a minute later, Pikachu on his shoulder, and broke into a grin. "Drew, hey! What're you doing here?"

"Just been doing some training," Drew answered, hoping he wouldn't question why none of Drew's pokémon were out.

"Wow, same here!" He didn't question it at all. Drew could appreciate a one-track mind. "Hey, since we're both out here, maybe we could train together! It's been a while since we battled, hasn't it? I know we've both gotten a lot stronger."

As much as Drew wanted to say no, he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge—especially one against a trainer, where he'd get a chance to prove his strength as a coordinator. Willing himself not to collapse immediately, he stepped forward. "You're on. But get ready to lose again."

"We'll see about that!" Ash reached for one of his poké balls. "I'm sure Swellow would love a chance to fight you again."

So that little taillow of his had evolved? Roselia could still handle it, if she didn't take one look at Drew and refuse to let the battle go on. "Then I'll let it face Roselia again."

Roselia was going to solarbeam him for even trying this, he realized. Hopefully she'd at least wait until he was feeling a little better.

* * *

Ash had seen how Drew battled, especially how he battled alongside Roselia, and it was easy to see he was off his game. His reactions were slower, his commands less certain, and he and his partner just weren’t in sync.

Mid-battle, he started coughing, and his roselia turned away from Swellow and rushed to his side. So that was why he seemed off—he wasn't in any condition to battle.

"Swellow, return." Ash crossed the clearing to try and do something to help. Drew had stopped coughing, but he was still catching his breath. Closer to him, Ash could see how pale and flushed he was and how dull and unfocused his eyes were. "You're sick, aren't you?"

"Great deduction, Sherlock," Drew deadpanned, his voice rough.

Ash tilted his head, frowning in confusion. "My name is Ash."

"I know that." Drew looked around, wobbling on his feet like he might collapse any minute. Not willing to let that happen, Ash wrapped an arm around him to support him.

"Hey, easy." Ash could feel Drew shivering against his side, and it definitely wasn't that cold here. He slipped off one of his gloves to press a hand against the side of Drew's face and it felt warmer than it should have. Not good. "The others are in town, I can either get them here or take you there. Brock will know what to do."

"No," Drew said firmly. "It's bad enough you're seeing me like this."

Ash blinked. "Okay, suit yourself, but I've gotta do something to help."

"No, you don't. I can handle my problems myself."

Roselia gave him a look that made it clear she disagreed, but he still pushed free of Ash's support. He made it a few steps before his legs gave out or he lost his balance—either way, he fell, and Ash caught him and scooped him up, supporting his back with one arm and his legs with the other.

Drew didn't try to fight it, instead giving Ash the fiercest glare he'd ever seen from someone who could hardly stand. "You'd better not drop me."

"Relax, I've got you," Ash assured him. "Are you staying somewhere in town or were you camping out near here?

"Second one," Drew answered, sighing roughly and hiding his face against Ash's shoulder.

"I guess we can stay out here, then." Ash would have to think of some explanation for the others, but he could probably do that.

 _We got sidetracked while we were training_ sounded like a good explanation. It wasn’t really a lie—he’d never been very good at those—but it’d sound like he and Pikachu had just gotten distracted or had a run-in with Team Rocket.

He could faintly hear a stream nearby—that'd be helpful. He started walking that way, Roselia following closely. Drew stayed very still and quiet, like either all the fight had left him or he still thought Ash might drop him.

It was only when Ash found the stream and stopped that he realized Drew was snoring softly. Something in him softened at the realization that the aloof coordinator had fallen asleep in his arms. He set Drew down gently, taking off his jacket so Drew’s head could rest on something softer than the ground.

Roselia was quick to take a position at her trainer’s side, and Ash rested a comforting hand on her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can for him.”

* * *

Drew was aware of two things when he woke—something soft beneath his head, and something unwelcomely cold and wet touching his face. He made a weak attempt at swatting it away with an irritated noise. Surprisingly, it went away.

“Sorry about that,” apologized a voice Drew could almost recognize. “Too cold?”

He cracked an eye open and saw May’s friend with the pikachu, whom he now knew for sure was named Ash, looking down at him with worried eyes. His whole face looked worried, really, but the look in his warm brown eyes was the first thing Drew noticed. He shut his eye again with an eloquent, “Mmph.”

“Nice conversation skills you’re showing here,” Ash said, and Drew was a little taken aback by the use of sarcasm. “I know you don’t feel well, but you’ve gotta work with me a little, okay? I’m trying to help. Bringing that fever down is important.”

Drew looked at him again. His concern was so earnest, it was written all over his face. Why did _he_ care about _Drew_ so much? It was sweet, but confusing.

Drew pushed himself up into a sitting position, attempting to scrape together some dignity beyond lying on the ground. Ash’s hand met his shoulder.

“Hey, take it easy,” Ash soothed. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I’m fine.” Drew sniffled and tried to suppress a shiver. He was chilled to the bone, and so tempted to lean into Ash’s warmth, but he had enough of his senses and dignity left to resist.

Ash’s expression hardened. “You’re obviously not fine. You’re burning up, and you’re shaking too. Stop being stubborn and let me help.”

Those words were punctuated by Ash gently running the wet cloth in his hand along Drew’s face. Drew flinched away from the cold instinctively, and Ash’s other hand moved to rest against his cheek, almost like a caress. Heat rose to his face at that thought. At least with his fever, Ash probably wouldn’t notice.

It was a strange combination—Ash’s bluntness and temper contrasting against gentleness and more patient compassion than Drew probably deserved—but Drew had seen stranger combinations work out beautifully on the contest stage. Maybe it was the fever messing with his head, but he couldn’t help thinking this one was beautiful too.

* * *

Drew was testing Ash’s patience, but Ash tried to keep his frustration in check—Drew couldn’t help being sick, and with how much trouble he was having even looking at Ash, he seemed pretty embarrassed to be in this position.

It was unusual to see Drew acting so shy—but then, Ash could faintly remember another time he’d seen Drew like that. “Hey, Drew?”

“What?” Drew replied, not looking up from the blades of grass beside him that he'd apparently become very interested in.

“Do you remember that time I got split up from the others, and there was a storm and we sheltered in that cave together?”

That got his attention. Muffling a few coughs, he looked at Ash thoughtfully. “I’m surprised _you_ remember that, with that fever and all.”

“I don’t remember much, really,” Ash admitted. “But I remember enough. You were sweet.”

Drew’s expression softened. Then he suddenly looked away, like he’d gotten shy again. He was still shivering. 

“Cold?”

Reluctantly, he nodded.

“C’mere.” Ash wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close, earning a startled yelp. Regardless, Drew relaxed as Ash ran a comforting hand up and down his back, even resting his head on Ash’s shoulder. “Feels good, huh?”

“Shut up,” was Drew’s halfhearted response. Roselia trilled teasingly at him and he flashed a tired glare at her, but didn’t try to defend himself past that.

Within minutes, he was asleep again.


End file.
